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〃He's dead and gone；〃 she said。 〃He can't judge us。 He can't control us。 Whatever it is we feel for each other…and I don't pretend to know what it is…it's ours。〃 She put her hands to his face； her fingers woven with his beard。 〃Let go of the fears；〃 she said。 〃Take hold of me instead。〃
He put his arms around her。
〃You're going to take me to Yzordderrex； Oscar。 Not in a week's time； not in a few days： tomorrow。 I want to go tomorrow。 Or else〃…her hands dropped from his face… 〃let me go now。 Out of here。 Out of your life。 I won't be your prisoner； Oscar。 Maybe his mistresses put up with that； but I won't。 I'll kill myself before I'll let you lock me up again。〃
She said all of this dry…eyed。 Simple sentiments； simply put。 He took hold of her hands and raised them to his cheeks again； as if inviting her to possess him。 His face was full of tiny creases she'd not seen before； and they were wet with tears。
〃We'll go；〃 he said。
Rooms； lounges； and chapel were a state unto themselves； and he'd long ago sworn to her he would never violate them。 She'd decorated the rooms with any lush or luxurious item that pleased her eclectic eye。 It was an aesthetic he himself had favored； before his present melancholia。 He'd filled the bedrooms now nested by carrion birds with immaculate copies of baroque and rococo furniture； had missioned the walls to be mirrored like Versailles； and had the toilets gilded。 But he'd long since lost his taste for such extravagances； and now the very sight of Quaisoir's rooms nauseated him so much that if he hadn't been driven by need he'd have retreated； appalled by their opulence。
He called his wife's name as he went。 First through the lounges； strewn with the leavings of a dozen meals； all were empty。 Then into the state room； which was appointed even more grandly than the lounges； but also empty。 Finally； to the bedroom。 At its threshold； he heard the slap of feet on the marble floor； and Quaisoir's servant Concupis…centia paddled into view。 She was naked； as always； her back a field of multicolored extremities each as agile as an ape's tail； her forelimbs withered and boneless things； bred to such vestigial condition over generations。 Her large green eyes seeped constantly； the feathery fans to either side of her face dipping to brush the moisture from her rouged cheeks。
〃Where's Quaisoir？〃 he demanded。 She drew a coquettish fan of her tails over her lower face and giggled behind them like a geisha。 The Autarch had slept with her once； in a kreauchee fugue； and the creature never let him by without a show of flirtation。
〃Not now； for Christ's sake；〃 he said； disgusted at the display。 〃I want my wife！ Where is she？〃
Concupiscentia shook her head； retreating from his raised voice and fist。 He pushed past her into the bedroom。 If there was any tiny wad of kreauchee to be had； it would be here； in her boudoir； where she lazed away so many days； listening to Concupiscentia sing hymns and lullabies。 The chamber smelled like a harbor bordello； a dozen sickly perfumes draping the air like the veils that hung around the bed。
〃I want kreauchee！〃 he said。 〃Where is it？〃
Again； a great shaking of the head from Concupiscentia； this time acpanied by whimpering。
〃Where？〃 he shouted。 〃Where？〃
The perfume and the veils sickened him； and he began to rip at the silks and gossamers in his rage。 The creature didn't intervene until he picked up the Bible lying open on the pillows and threatened to rip out its onion…leaf pages。
〃Pleas ep！〃 she squealed。 〃Please ep！ Shellem beat I if ye taurat the Book。 Quaisoir lovat the Book。〃
It wasn't often he heard the gloss； the pidgin English of the islands； and the sound of it…as misshapen as its source…infuriated him even more。 He tore half a dozen pages from the Bible； just to make her squeal again。 She obliged。
〃I want kreauchee！〃 he said。
〃I havat！ I havat！〃 the creature said； and led him from the bedroom into the enormous dressing room that lay next door； where she began to search through the gilded boxes on Quaisoir's dressing table。
Catching sight of the Autarch's reflection in the mirror； she made a tiny smile； like a guilty child； before bringing a package out of the smallest of the boxes。 He snatched it from her fingers before she had a chance to proffer it。 He knew from the smell that stung his nostrils that this was good quality； and without hesitating he unwrapped it and put the whole wad into his mouth。
〃Good girl；〃 he told Concupiscentia。 〃Good girl。 Now； do you know where your mistress got it？〃
Concupiscentia shook her head。 〃She goallat alon unto the Kesparates； many nights。 Sometimes shellem a goat beggar； sometimes shellem goat…〃
〃A whore。〃
〃No； no。 Quaisoir isem a whore。〃
〃Is that where she is now？〃 the Autarch said。 〃Is she out whoring？ It's a little early for that； isn't it； or is she cheaper in the afternoon？〃
The kreauchee was better than he'd hoped； he felt it striking him as he spoke； lifting his melancholy and replacing it with a vehement buzz。 Even though he'd not penetrated Quaisoir in four decades （nor had any desire to）； in some moods news of her infidelities could still depress him。 But the drug took all that pain away。 She could sleep with fifty men a day； and it wouldn't take her an inch from his side。 Whether they felt contempt or passion for each other was irrelevant。 History had made them indivisible and would hold them together till the Apocalypse did them part。
〃Shellem not whoring；〃 Concupiscentia piped up； determined to defend her mistress's honor。 〃Shellem downer ta Scoriae。〃
〃The Scoriae？ Why？〃
〃Executions；〃 Concupiscentia replied； pronouncing this word…learned from her mistress's lips…perfectly。
〃Executions？〃 the Autarch said； a vague unease surfacing through the kreauchee's soothings。 〃What executions？〃
Concupiscentia shook her head。 〃I dinnet knie；〃 she said。 〃Jest executions。 Allovat executions。 She prayat to tern…〃
〃I'm sure she does。〃
〃We all prayat far the_sols； so ta go intat the presence of the Unbeheld washed…〃
Here were more phrases repeated parrot fashion； the kind of Christian cant he found as sickening as the decor。 And； like the decor； these were Ouaisoir's work。 She'd embraced the Man of Sorrows only a few months ago； but it hadn't taken her long to claim she was His bride。 Another infidelity； less syphilitic than the hundreds that had gone before； but just as pathetic。
The Autarch left Concupiscentia to babble on and dispatched his bodyguard to locate Rosengarten。 There were questions to be answered here； and quickly； or else it wouldn't only be the Scoriae where heads would roll。
Traveling the Lenten Way； Gentle had e to believe that； far from being the burden he'd expected her to be； Huzzah was a blessing。 If she hadn't been with them in the Cradle he was certain the Goddess Tishalulle would not have intervened on their behalf； nor would hitchhiking along the highway have been so easy if they hadn't had a winsome child to thumb rides for them。 Despite the months she'd spent hidden away in the depths of the asylum （or perhaps because of them）； Huzzah was eager to engage everyone in conversation； and from the replies to her innocent inquiries he and Pie gleaned a good deal of information he doubted they'd have e by otherwise。 Even as they'd crossed the causeway to the city； she'd struck up a dialogue with a woman who'd happily supplied a list of the Kesparates and even pointed out those that were visible from where they'd walked。 There were too many names and directions for Gentle to hold in his head； but a glance towards Pie confirmed that the mystif was attending closely and would have all of them by heart by the time they reached the other side。
〃Wonderful；〃 Pie said to Huzzah when the woman had departed。 〃I wasn't sure I'd be able to find my way back to my people's Kesparate。 Now I know the way。〃
〃Up through the Oke T'Noon； to the Caramess； where they make the Autarch's sweetmeats；〃 Huzzah said； repeating the directions as if she was reading them off a blackboard。 〃Follow the wall of the Caramess till we get to Smooke Street； then up to the Viaticum； and we'll be able to see the gates from there。〃
〃How did you remember all that？〃 Gentle said； to which Huzzah somewhat disdainfully asked how he could have allowed himself to forget。
〃We mustn't get lost；〃 she said。
〃We won't；〃 Pie replied。 〃There'll be people in my Kesparate who'll help us find your grandparents。〃
〃If they don't it doesn't matter；〃 Huzzah said； looking gravely from Pie to Gentle。 〃I'll e with you to the First Dominion。 I don't mind。 I'd like to see the Unbeheld。〃
〃How do you know that's where we're going？〃 Gentle
said。
〃I've heard you talking about it；〃 she replied。 〃That's what you're going to do； isn't it？ Don't worry； I'm not scared。 We've seen a Goddess； haven't we？ He'll be the same； only not as beautiful。〃
This unflattering notion amused Gentle mightily。
〃You're an angel； you know that？〃 he said； going down on his haunches and sliding his arms around her。
She'd put on a few pounds in weight since they'd begun their journey together； and her hug； when she returned it；
was strong。
〃I'm hungry；〃 she murmured in his ear。
〃Th